The four-game showdown between Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League-leading President Lions and the second-place Brother Elephants ended in a two-game split over the weekend.
Following a one-game split through the first two contests, the Lions put up seven runs against a shaky Elephant staff in Saturday night's 7-4 final.
Newly acquired starter Travis Steven lasted only 3-2/3 innings against a Lions lineup that scored five quick runs through the first four frames.
The American lefty had problem with his control as he walked five of the 20 batters faced.
Steven's early collapse led to a slew of problems in the Elephants bullpen as five different relievers were called to finish the game for skipper Lin Yi-tseng (
Lions' second-year righty Pan Wei-luen (
Pan's departure led to the rescue of reliever Tsao Jung-yang (
Offensively for the Lions, shortstop Yang Seng (陽森) and right fielder Wang Chuan-jia (王傳家) each knocked in a pair of runs for the big cats.
game 4
Saturday's series finale in Tienmu made a 12-game winner out of starter Jonathan Hurst in a closely fought battle.
The 37-year-old former Major Leaguer allowed two runs on five hits while fanning seven in as many innings, before closer Wang Jing-li (
Peng "Chia Chia" Cheng-ming's (
BEARS VERSUS COBRAS
The La New Bears won their fourth series of the season by taking two of the three games against the Macoto Cobras in the fight for bragging rights between the two former Taiwan Major League squads.
Game 1 in Hsinchuang on Thursday night was highlighted by a five-run sixth inning for the Bears that broke a scoreless tie.
Center fielder Huang Long-yi (
The serpents out hit their opponents 6-to-4 in a losing effort as they failed to make good on hits they belted off Bears starter Chris Wright.
The right-hander from the US went the distance for his first victory of the season in the 6-2 decision.
His 13 strikeouts marked the first time that a Bears pitcher recorded double-digit strikeouts.
Friday's rematch had the Bears rallying from two down in the top of the eighth.
Cleanup man Lin Chih-sheng's (
The Cobras would cross the plate four times in the bottom of the very same inning on back-to-back two-run doubles by pinch hitter Deng Shih-yang (
Newly arrived Venezuelan righty Angel Tovar of the Cobras surrendered seven runs in two innings of relief work in his Taiwan debut.
A six-run eighth inning for the Bears put the game out of reach, as the game ended 11-2.
BULLS VERSUS WHALES
Trouble for the Sinon Bulls continued over the weekend as they extended their non-winning streak to three games in the series against the Chinatrust Whales.
Other than forcing a 2-2 tie on Saturday, the Bulls, which that at one point had ranked as high as second in the standings, dropped two games against the last-place Whales -- both by a final of 6-4.
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
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